Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-06-02
SILAS LAPHAMS.
People Who Might sit for Mr.. Hewelfs
Portraits.


Every night there are hundreds Of
men who 20 home to their rich and
elegant houses on the Back bay who
might have served IS models Tor the
clever and faithful pen of Novelist
Howells in his Rise of Silas lap
ham. They get up early in the
morning inst as they did when they
were working at trades or behind
counters. they bend their brains all
day without much relaxation To the
successful piling up Of dollars upon
their large Accommodations, aud al
evening they 90 home aud Try 20 per-
Suadc themselves and their neighbOrs
that they are of some social cOnse-
queuce. There is pathoS in the
struggles of these men 10 make an APP
pearance at what they are not and
never can be.
| suppose there are more women
than men who are striving and push
Ing To get into society but their ambi-
tionS are more commonly understood,
We can smile at the ambitions and
pretensions of Mrs Shoddy, believing
that her purpose j. a. shallow n her
self; but when the old man Shoddy
shows that he is determined % be
somebody and puts big bill az work
there is a touch of sadness in it. We
know that intellectual structure is
hopelessly but eyerlastingly of the
SOW : ear variety, and that ii can never
be made into the silk purse, though
millions are spent il, the effort,
The character of Silas Ldphaal was
not bit overdrawn. We meet men
every day who perSonify it. ! will
give YOU a glimpse of one of them. He
was 3 gallant soldier i'm the war aud
came out of ii with the rank Of colonel
by brevet Before the war he was q
sharp and successful salesman. Soon
after the war lac engaged in business
for himself, and. partly by good luck
and partly bv shreWd business tact,
he got hold of certain patents covering
articles that were bound to come into
very common use. To these patents
he added others and soon began man.
ufacturiug and dealing IN the articles.
He developed the business which a
few wears ago became q large and
profitable monopoly. affecting trade
both iu this country and abroad The
thousand, rolled in upon him faster
almost than he could count them. He
I branched ont i'm other directions. I'M
vested largely in railroad and mining
companies, and though he lost great
I deal Of money in these ways his mo-
nopoly continued, and the revenues
poured In n if they would never end.
/ Like many other men to-day, he APP
pears in many enterprises, most of
which are mere channels for working
off tin. great gains that his legitimate
bushes, supplies
lie has lately established his family
I In "a fine new house on Commonwealth
avenue not far from Hotel Nendome,
and touching elbows, rs it We're, with
ariStocratic ucighb0rs ON an sides.
I The house has been builtand furnished
l artisticallv. and therefore OF course,
without any particular reference to his
I own taste The architect knew what
I 10 do. and the furnshers and dccora-
tors were told 10 do what they thought
proper. Here the master Of the house
eutertains what he considers large
hospitality and regards his guest, with
accounts Of his own extravaganza i'm
housc-furni-hing, the prices 1T various
pictures. ornaments. etc crowns
boorish manners with certain gruf
-Wagger that i'm his own estimation
passes for perfect ease aud royal hos
pitality and which he appears to think
well calculated Ia make his quests feel
at home. He gave q card party the
other evening to which ladies aud
gentlemen went atiircd ia evening
dress. 10 find their host comfortably
robed in his drc~,ing-goWn iH which
he remained throughout the evening.
The card-piayin- was frequently dis
turbed by gruii commands from the
host 90 some lady cor gentleman to 20
/ and look AZ -nch ami ,uch an object iu
I one OF the rooms.
" hen supper Was announced the
host babe The hostess 20 out and see
about the preparations, as he had al
ready and found "a devil of a row
This row he explained to the COM
panv az no less "a catastrophe than the
I entire melting Of the ice cream Al
though the company included a newly
married couple, who were the special
guests, the host naturally lacked The
knowledge that he ought 10 take the
I bride ont To supper and, after several
awkward minutes the party struggled
as best they could into the supper
room. where -hc host had already pre-
empted a good and commanding posi-
I ton This man is one Of elias, here
! in Boston He can not understand
why the best in the city should non
open their doors to him and come 10
/ his card parties, but be is bent with O
I terrible energy upon getting there.
I He will spend the remainder Of his life
( i'm learning the things that money can
not do Boston Cor. Minneapolis Irt-
/ 6uHe.